


Falling Freely

by Breezaly



Series: The Difference Between Flying & Soaring [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cheeky!Tadashi, Cute, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Prequel, Smitten!Tsukki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 02:03:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11704512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breezaly/pseuds/Breezaly
Summary: No, Kei decided. It wasn’t a surprise that he had fallen for Yamaguchi. Quite the opposite actually; it had only been a matter of time.He would even be so bold as to say that it had been inevitable.





	Falling Freely

The whistle signaling the end of the game was drowned out by the sudden roar of the audience and the celebratory shouts of the Karasuno team. Kei was hardly aware of any of it, his attention focused on the sting lingering on his palms. He stared down at his hands and tried to figure out if he was still breathing. It all felt like a dream.

Perhaps that was why he didn’t react when two solid bodies slammed into him, enveloping him in too tight of an embrace that he hadn’t asked for or wanted. Kei blinked, looked down at the weeping leeches that were Tanaka and Nishinoya, and then up and around their side of the court.

Almost instantly, his gaze fell on Yamaguchi. The boy was being sandwiched by Hinata and Ennoshita, looking even more dazed than Kei felt.

Despite that, Yamaguchi must have sense Kei watching him because brown suddenly met gold, and reality finally sunk in.

They had won.

For the second time in a row, Karasuno had won the Spring High National Tournament. But instead of the idiot duo’s freak quick scoring the final point, this year it had been a flawlessly executed serve and block combo by Kei and Yamaguchi.

Kei was quite sure at this point he wasn’t breathing.

He stared at Yamaguchi, paralyzed not only by the third years, but this overwhelming feeling in his chest. It shook him to his very core, becoming more and more intense the longer Kei’s gaze stayed locked with Yamaguchi’s.

He wished he could move—he _wanted_ to move. He wanted Tanaka and Nishinoya to let go of him. He wanted Hinata and Ennoshita to let go of Yamaguchi. He wanted his feet to unstick from the floor so he could walk across the court, pry his best friend from the idiot and the captain’s arms, and take him into his own. He wanted to tell him how cool that was—how cool _Yamaguchi_ was—and see the wide grin that would follow. He wanted to hear that ridiculous nickname Yamaguchi had given him years ago. He wanted to feel it murmured against his lips as he held freckled cheeks in his hands and—

_Oh_.

Another reality hit him with even more force than the first and Kei _knew_ he definitely wasn’t breathing now.

* * *

 

The bus ride back to Miyagi was loud with celebration, but Kei was quiet.

Surprisingly, the team let him be. It seemed they finally realized his headphones might as well have been a _Do Not Disturb_ sign. Or perhaps it was repayment for allowing them to hug and cry all over him earlier. Or maybe it was because they didn’t want his superior wit and snark dampening their moronic, overzealous excitement.

Regardless of the reason, Kei was content with being left alone. It gave him time to think.

He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. How long had he and Yamaguchi been friends? And there wasn’t anyone else Kei was as close with or got along with as well as him. So it was only natural that Kei had developed feelings for him.

…wasn’t it?

Kei watched Tadashi’s reflection in the window. The dark-haired boy was laughing with Hinata, Kagayama, and a first year about something, his smile more effortless and confident than it had been before coming to Karasuno.

The change had been slow and subtle. Someone who didn’t know him well or spent as much time with him as Kei did wouldn’t have noticed. Hell, Kei hadn’t even noticed until that one night at the Tokyo training camp when Yamaguchi had yelled at him and called him lame.

Ever since then, though, Kei had paid close attention.

Ever since then, he’d had a front row seat to the change and growth of Yamaguchi Tadashi. He’d seen how much easier Yamaguchi interacted with others without Kei by his side after successfully using his float serve in the game against Seijoh. He’d been there when Yamaguchi had decided to get his ear pierced despite knowing how much his parents would hate it. He’d watched as Tadashi had tied the top half of his hair back when it’d finally grown long enough, seeming pleased with his appearance for the first time ever. And he’d witnessed the proud smile and flush on Yamaguchi’s face when the second and first years unanimously agreed that he should be captain next year.

So, no. It wasn’t a surprise that he had fallen for Yamaguchi. Quite the opposite actually; it had only been a matter of time.

Kei would even be so bold as to say that it had been inevitable.

* * *

“Tsukki?”

“Hm?”

“Um…”

The hesitation in Yamaguchi’s voice made Kei glanced over at him. The boy was chewing the inside of his bottom lip, another telltale sign that he was unsure about something. It didn’t happen very often anymore, but Kei had seen it more than enough over the years to know how Tadashi operated. He would waver the entire walk back from the school, not saying what was on his mind, if he wasn’t given a nudge.

So Kei nudged him. Not physically, but with another quite, questioning hum. It did the trick.

“You’ve been…quiet since the game,” Tadashi pointed out. “More so than usual.”

“Yeah,” Kei agreed. There was no point in denying something obvious.

Yamaguchi looked at him with an open and curious gaze. Kei stared back at him, a thrill shooting through his chest and abdomen like it never had for a game.

_Ask me why_ , he found himself thinking. Hoping. _Ask me why, Tadashi._

Tadashi cocked his head slightly to the side, his eyebrows pulling together. It was exactly what Kei had wanted; the dark-haired boy was asking him why, just without any words.

And that should have made it better. That should have made it easier for Kei to look his best friend in the eye and confess his more-than-friends feelings for him.

But when Kei opened his mouth to respond, his throat constricted with what he could only assume was anxiety (though the feeling was so foreign to him he couldn’t be sure), and instead of _I’ve realized I like you_ what came out was, “I’m still reeling from the game.”

“Ah!” Yamaguchi grinned, his eyes squinting closed. “Yeah, it was really intense! But you were so awesome, Tsukki! Their number 4’s face when you completely shut down his spike in the first set was priceless! And then, when you saw through their setter’s…”

Kei let Yamaguchi ramble on about how amazing he was as they walked, listening with half attention. The other half was focused on how _lame_ he was for chickening out of a confession.

What exactly was he nervous about anyway? This was _Yamaguchi_. Kei knew how devoted the kid was to him and had been since Kei had stopped those bullies from harassing him back in elementary school. Even if he didn’t like Kei like that—had never even thought of Kei like that—he wouldn’t shame Kei or make fun of him for his feelings. He would still be Kei’s friend. Nothing would change.

_And that, apparently, is exactly what I’m afraid of_ , Kei realized, a sinking, hollow feeling weighing down his insides at the thought of remaining _just friends_ with Tadashi for the rest of their lives. That wasn’t what he wanted.

No. What he wanted was to give in to the sudden urge he had to thread his fingers through Tadashi’s hair. Preferably while kissing him.

Of course, Kei couldn’t just _do_ that. First off, forcing a kiss on someone was rude, especially if there was a chance they didn’t want it. That would make him a creep and a jerk, and possibly cause the end of his and Tadashi’s friendship in the exact opposite way he wanted.

Secondly, the thought of kissing Yamaguchi made Kei’s palms sweat and his heart race even more than the idea of a spoken confession. Perhaps not all from nerves, but that was beside the point.

_The point_ , Kei decided, watching Tadashi’s facial expressions and hand gestures as he gave a play-by-play of the last set, _is if I don’t say something for the rest of the night._

So Kei stopped walking. Tadashi continued for two more steps before he realized the blonde was no longer by his side. He glanced over his shoulder at Kei with a slight frown.

“Tsukki?”

“I don’t want to go home yet,” Kei said, shoving his hands—which were definitely _not_ trembling, thank you very much—into his coat pockets.

“Okay,” Tadashi said. The frown he had seconds ago melted into an easy smile, and Kei felt himself melt a bit along with it. “What do you want to do?”

Kei shrugged outwardly, though inwardly his blunt, factual brain was quick to respond with _Make out_ _with you_. He hoped it was too dark for Tadashi to see how his face flushed.

It was. Or that seemed to be the case, at least, since Tadashi reacted to Kei’s supposed indecision in a predictable way by throwing Kei a smile and chirping, “Very helpful, Tsukki!”

“I know,” Kei agreed. “It’s a specialty of mine.”

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes, but that was okay because it didn’t conceal the fondness in the brown orbs. Kei just wished he could discern if that fondness would remain and even transform into happy acceptance once he found out about Kei’s feelings.

“Yeah, you’re extremely helpful, Tsukki!” Tadashi said. “The most helpful!”

Kei smirked, wondering (not for the first time) if he was the only person who knew Yamaguchi Tadashi was actually a cheeky little shit.

He hoped so. He’d have a lot more competition if he wasn’t.

“How about the park?” Tadashi suggested a moment later, ignorant of the embarrassing things Kei was thinking about him.

The park wasn’t a bad idea. It was close by and, at this hour, they would be the only two there. That mean they could go on the merry-go-round without a bunch of kids infesting the place and demanding a turn.

It was also the same park where they had met. The idea of confessing to Yamaguchi there was sort of fitting, like it would somehow make everything come full circle, and made Kei feel less like he was having a heart attack.

So, decided, Kei shrugged again and pushed his glasses higher on his nose. “I guess the park’s fine,” he said. “If that’s what you want to do.”

Yamaguchi said nothing, but his wide grin was an answer in and of itself. Kei smiled back briefly before turning to head in the direction of the park, Yamaguchi quickly catching up to walk beside him.

* * *

There were very few sounds Kei liked listening to as much as or more than his carefully crafted playlists. Tadashi’s laugh as he was spun on the merry-go-round was one of them.

Kei grinned, pushed the merry-go-round for one more cycle as fast as he could, and then hopped on. He hooked his arms around the bars to keep from sliding off, leaning his back against Tadashi’s. He wanted to feel Tadashi giggle as well as hear him.

_And it’s thoughts like that,_ Kei mused, feeling his face heat up, _that make me wonder how I was unaware of my feelings for him up until now._

Kei sighed to himself, pondering his obliviousness as he watched the world spin by slower and slower until they were just barely turning. By that time, Tadashi had stopped laughing and the quiet music playing from Kei’s phone could be heard again. It wasn’t as nice.

“I think we may be getting too old for this,” Tadashi said once they had come to a complete stop. Kei shook his head.

“Nah.”

Tadashi chuckled and Kei felt him craned his neck around. Kei turned too, and if that made Tadashi’s hair brush against his cheek, it was a total coincidence.

At least, that was what Kei would tell anyone if they asked. He was the only one who needed to know the truth.

_No_ , Kei amended a second later, after meeting Tadashi’s warm gaze. _There’s one other person_.

And it was that thought that gave Kei the kick he needed. Or maybe it was the way the streetlights reflected in Tadashi’s eyes? Or perhaps the warmth of his body pressed against Kei’s? Or maybe all of those things combined.

Regardless, it was enough. It was time. Kei took a deep breath. “Tadashi, I—”

“Tsukki,” Tadashi cut him off, a large grin spreading across his face. “I already know.”

Kei stared at him. Then, he blinked at him. “What.”

Tadashi chuckled but said nothing as he turned around to properly face Kei. Kei did the same, feeling like the merry-go-round was spinning again. Tadashi couldn’t have meant what he thought he’d meant.

…could he?

Kei searched Tadashi’s face for an answer.

The smile there was soft and sincere, yet there was a secretive, almost playful, edge to it. Then there were his eyes, earnest and glinting. Even in the dark, Kei could clearly make out the unwavering adoration in them. It made his breath get caught in his throat.

“You…already know?” he eventually managed after a brief struggle of forcing air back into his lungs. Now if only his heart would stop trying to point its way out of his chest.

Tadashi nodded, still smiling. Kei gaped at him.

“How?”

Instead of answering, Tadashi just sent Kei a flat _Are you kidding me?_ look that had Kei blushing at once. He glanced away, fidgeting with his glasses. His fingers may or may not have been trembling.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Kei muttered.

“But Tsukki!” Tadashi chirped, and Kei could see his cheeky grin in his peripheral vision. “I didn’t say anything!”

“Yeah, well, still…” Kei said, looking everywhere except at the boy across from him. “Shut up.”

The joyous laugh Tadashi gave in response was the most wonderful thing Kei had ever heard. It was truly unfair to the music still playing in the background.

“Okay,” Tadashi said. His voice was soft and warm like the fingers suddenly brushing along Kei’s knuckles. “But only if you kiss me.”

_That_ had Kei snapping his gaze back to him. He stared, perhaps gawking a little, while Tadashi just smiled and continued to rub his hands.

“Well?” Tadashi asked. “What’s it going to be, Tsukki? Are you gonna do it? Because, if you don’t, I’m going to go into _embarrassing_ and _excruciating_ detail of how I found you out. You’re not as sly as you think, you know! And then, I’m going to call up Hinata and Kageyama to tell _them_ and then _they’ll_ know that you’re actually a—”

“Tadashi,” Kei warned, but the boy simply regarded him with that damn cheeky grin again.

“Yes, _Tsukki_ ~~?”

Kei was not an impulsive person by any means. Acting on impulse was synonymous with ‘thoughtlessness’ and ‘thoughtlessness’ was for rash idiots, like Hinata, Nishinoya, and Tanaka. But there was something about the way Tadashi cooed—practically _purred_ —his nickname that made Kei stop thinking for once in his life and just _react_.

Kei lunged forward, simultaneously pulling Tadashi in, until their foreheads knocked together. It was sort of painful, but Kei didn’t care because Tadashi was staring at him with a look that lit him on fire.

“Shut _up_ ,” Kei whispered, their lips almost touching.

“Okay,” Tadashi whispered back, and then their lips _were_ touching.

More than that, they were kissing, Tadashi’s arms wrapped around Kei’s neck while Kei tangled one hand in Tadashi’s hair and pulled him close by the waist with the other.

Of course, that resulted in Tadashi sort of sitting in Kei’s lap, but that was fine. Actually, with their breath mingling together, their tongues hesitantly touching, and Kei’s glasses being pressed uncomfortably into his face, it was more than fine.

It was _great_.

It was _so_ great that it made Kei dizzy. Or maybe that was the lack of oxygen doing that? Or perhaps the merry-go-round was spinning again? Whatever it was, Kei was breathless, disoriented, and it was _great_. Better than he could have ever imagined. He never wanted to stop.

As soon as Kei had that thought, however, Tadashi pulled away, not far, but enough to break the kiss. Kei pouted at him before he remembered he didn’t pout—he _scowled_ , thank you very much—and tried to tug him back in. Tadashi laughed softly, placing a hand on his chest to stop him.

“Need air, Tsukki,” he murmured.

“Tch.” Kei adjusted his glasses. They were smudged. He didn’t care. “La~ame— _ow_!”

Tadashi grinned innocently, like he hadn’t just pinched Kei on the arm. Kei glowered and contemplated pushing Tadashi off the merry-go-round, onto the woodchips, just to teach the cheeky little shit a lesson. He might do it. He just might—

“I swear to god, Tsukki, if you try to push me off, I’m bringing you down with me,” Tadashi said, and Kei gaped at him for what seemed like the hundredth time that night.

“I wasn’t going to—”

Tadashi shot him a look, not unlike the one from earlier, that had Kei snapping his mouth closed and blushing again. It was _really_ unfair that Tadashi could apparently read him so well. Unfair and kind of terrifying because it made Kei feel like he was falling, spiraling down into an abyss of unknown things, and yet it was all strangely exhilarating.

It was a feeling Kei could get used to. Especially if it always resulted in Tadashi plucking Kei’s glasses off with one hand, caressing Kei’s jaw in the other, and leaning down to press their lips together once more.

_Especially then_ , Kei mused as he wrapped his arms around him. _Definitely could get used to it then._

Of course, he was amending that thought not even second later when he felt Tadashi grin happily against his mouth. Kei smiled back, tilted his head a bit to deepen their kiss, and freely welcomed the sensation of falling because, as it turned out, he was already used to it.

He was already in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Prequel-ish thing to my WiP "The Difference Between Flying & Soaring." I thought I should give Tsukki and Yam's relationship in that story some context. I also just wanted to write some TsukkiYama fluff because I have way too many HCs about how totally smitten Tsukki is with Yams. I needed to get some of it out of my system before my teeth rotten from the sweetness.


End file.
